Season four of Invincible has been building up to the Viltrumite War. “Give Us a Moment” provides the first real skirmish between the Coalition of Planets and the Viltrum Empire. But before the sides come to blows, Nolan needs to come to terms of his past while back on Earth.
Omni-Man has been on quite the redemptive arc. Earlier in the season the adorable bromance he developed with Allen the Alien helped soften his image. This week’s episode focuses on the harder and somewhat uglier side of his path towards amends as he faces both Mark and Debbie. He really comes off as a changed person taking accountability and being respectful of how the other party feels. He understands that forgiveness is earned.
The conversation between Nolan and Debbie is particularly dramatic and emotional. The animation captures the weight of the moment with Nolan’s facial expressions channeling the regret and pain he feels. Add in the superb voice work from J.K. Simmons and Sandra Oh, and it’s a scene that resonates. Even the reunion with Art the tailor doesn’t have the Hollywood ending when he hits Omni-Man with the line about only making costumes for superheroes. It’s a rough homecoming, but he keeps rolling with the punches.
Invincible also introduces Tech Jacket to the motley crew of heroes hand picked to take the fight to the Viltrumites. They seem nice enough, but comic purists may not like some of the changes made to the character. What is more discouraging is the fact that they don’t come off necessarily as strong or as fierce as you would expect for someone to do battle against the super powered enemies. Tech Jacket seems more a liability in the battlefield than someone who can hold their own.
We did see our heroes take on some Viltrumites. The action is always exciting, bloody, and violent. It shows off the good guys’ teamwork, and allows Nolan’s fatherly tendencies shine with his concern for both Mark and Oliver. However the Conquest round two showdown may have been too much.
On one hand, it demonstrates the drastic measures needed to defeat such a monster, and we witness the toll it takes on Invincible. But it’s overly graphic even if it may not show everything. Seeing the motions Conquest uses after he performs his Viltrumite slice and the accompanying sound effects is enough to make it disturbing. It’s a shock factor moment and a dramatic way to end.
“Give Us a Moment” pushes the envelope with the series signature violence, but it’s the continuation of the Omni-Man redemption arc that creates a compelling narrative.
New episodes of Invincible release Wednesdays on Prime Video.
